Cover News is a weekly feature where I sum up the week’s cover-related news, whether it’s new to the world or just new to me. Anything that doesn’t fit in my regular thematic posts I think my readers would enjoy, be it a youtube video, a blog shout-out, or a cool-looking new release. I also post all the submissions I have gotten from record labels and artists. Send suggestions or submissions to the email address on the right.

Following that, the most important bit of news concerns this site. Regular readers will know I have been having some hosting troubles. On the advice of several readers I will probably switch over to bluehost.com, but that means many of the files available here will disappear come July 1st. So download them now while you still can!!! I’ll throw up a post to guide you through the archives as the time approaches.

In more upbeat Cover Me news, our poll for June’s Cover Commissions broke voting records, with Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger” pulling away for the win. My Lady’s House has holed up in a French chateau somewhere to work on it, fueled only by red wine and cigarettes, and we can’t wait to see what they come up with.

There’s a new cover blog in the ring: Don’t Judge a Song By It’s Cover[sic]. It features lots of covers of individual songs, so whether you’re looking for a dozen versions of “Love Will Teat Us Apart” or “Norwegian Wood,” Ibnu’s got you covered.

The new Springsteen tribute I mentioned a month or so back is coming along, with four new covers available for download! The project is being run by Where It’s At Is Where You Are with the exciting news that the full 38-track set will be available by week’s end! Pick up a split 7” from Rough Trade in London first though to hear fresh takes on “If I Should Fall Behind” and “Girls in their Summer Clothes.”

Anything involving the Decemberists is exciting news in my book, and the fact that they covered Heart at a recent show with Lavender Diamond and My Brightest Diamond is just fun. Eyeball it here.

I know I’m not the only one who feels no guilt about loving everything The Lonely Island releases, whether it’s “Dick in a Box” or “I’m On a Boat.” Most visible front-guy Andy Samberg hosted the MTV Movie Awards a few weeks back and LeeAnn Rhimes, Chris Isaak and Forest Whitaker paid tribute in their own way. Not to be missed (scroll to #3).

In my Full Albums series I’ve long wanted to take on Prince’s Purple Rain, but have avoided it because of the Purple One’s notorious legal team (go try to find a video of his Super Bowl performance a few years ago and you’ll see what I mean). Luckily Spin has done my work for me, commissioning covers of every song to celebrate the movie/album’s twenty-fifth anniversary. You’ll be able to snag ‘em here starting June 23rd, but it looks like you might need an issue in hand to download, so get purchasing!

In more Prince news, check out a couple cuts from one of the best-named tribute albums ever: That Skinny Motherfucker With the High Voice. Dump does two tunes at Aquarium Drunkard.

All you old-school folkniks out there will be excited to hear about a Judee Sill tribute coming out in September. It’s called Crayon Angel: A Tribute to the Music of Judee Sill and you can peep the cover/tracklist here. And download a sample track too!

Randy Newman covers never get old (witness our full Sail Away covers set from a few months back), so how great to see a new freebie EP of tunes! It’s by Jon Hardy & the Public and you must download it immediately. Then encourage them to get recording that Rosalita cover they’ve been doing live! Little Criminals: Songs From Randy Newman is here.

Lastly, though it’s not a cover per se, I couldn’t let this post go by without promoting Weird Al’s new Doors-eye send-up “Craigslist.” Watch Al channel Jim himself in the freak-your-face-off video.